DNA Fingerprinting
- Teacher: Eleanore B. Sturgill
- Grade Level(s): 9
- Target Audience: Biology I
- Materials Needed: paper, scissors, glue stick
- Class Time: 50 minutes
- Brief Summary: Three fragments of DNA are cut, pasted and compared.
- Student Objective(s): Students will understand what restriction enzymes do, and understand how a DNA sample can link a suspect to a crime.
- Description of Activities: Students have 3 samples of DNA: one from the crime scene, and two others from each of the suspects. Students use scissors in the place of restrictive enzymes and cut the DNA samples only where they see the sequences shown on hand-out. Students then chart the base pairs, and compare it to the actual electrophoresis gel. Then students paste the fragments on the chart according to the number of base pairs indicated on the chart, compare the three patterns and determine the culprit.
- Further Information and References: Mystery Matters: DNA Fingerprinting, Richard Saferstein, CHEMMATTERS, October, 1991
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